A few weeks ago, as I wrapped up a phone interview with the D’s boisterous bad guy, Trick Trick, I was cordially invited to his studio for a super-sneak preview of his sophomore spring release, The Villain.

“If you ever in Livonia, you can stop by the studio. I’ll show you the album,” he said about as nonchalant as Bill Gates giving a bum a couple of Benjamins.

After my jaw fell to the floor like a Warner Brothers cartoon, I replied, “No shit?” like the glaring industry outsider I am.

The following Wednesday, I found myself in Macomb County circling around unfamiliar I-96 service drives, searching for the so-called “studio.” Once my man riding shotty spotted the silver Benz CRK in the middle of a barren office park, we realized we had reached our destination. Best described as a hole in the wall hit-factory by design, Studio 1 caught your eye upon the crack of the car door.

After unsuccessfully buzzing ourselves in twice, the self-proclaimed Godfather himself strolled over & answered the door with open arms. Filled with local promotional posters, framed album covers from the studio’s inhabitants, empty Remy bottles and a few unmentionables, what one might call a lobby led us into the workroom. Walking in, we were treated to wrap-up of a post-production session for Slum Village member, Elzhi. As we previewed a few tracks featuring fellow D-Boys Black Milk and Royce Da 5’9, the studio owner/engineer, Tommy Gunz, gushed about how him and Elz could change the world if they so decided. He was definitely six feet serious.

When that was a wrap, and after Trick had added in an essential gun-cocking sound byte over his own Royce-assisted track, “All Around The World,” he ran it back in full to begin the listening session. Once he and Nickel finished flossing over the bass-heavy D-Funk, Christian Mathis reaffirmed everyone in the room of his ass-whooping alias with an anthem-like album opener, aptly titled, “Trick Trick.” On the testy “Who Want It,” Trick gets at who he calls, the ‘rap equivalent of High School Musical,’ while an absent Slim Shady returns to secure his back. “One more shot of Hypnotiq and I am not in control of my body/ turnin’ roboticâ€¦” he spit over the speakers, sounding able-bodied as ever.

As an elroy of good was passed around to everyone but the host, the man from the window emerged from the smoke in the form of Guilty Simpson, who rapped along side Trick and Marvwon on the Whodini-sampled, “Can’t Fuck With My City.” His timing couldn’t have been better.

When his current single “Let’s Work” came on, Trick wholeheartedly gushed about how excited he gets when he hears it get spins on Detroit radio. Not so much for the accord, though, but because of the positive reception he’s been gotten from deviant fans about the motivational record. During “Hold On,” an atypical Dr. Dre production, Trick was literally moved by his own touching verbal intricacies as he rapped along with his mouth and hands. Next was “Follow Me which is commendably almost the exact opposite of the song he played before. Over a beat that was noticeably once Busta Rhymes,’ Trick impresses as he tells a story speaking entirely in tongues, proving catchy and thought provoking at the same time.

From the beginning, Trick had noted that he was purposely saving the best for lastâ€¦.and he was right. “Let It Go,” a motivational masterpiece in which Trick himself claimed to be the crown jewel of his catalogue, was the perfect song to cap off The Villain listening session. Over a soulful backdrop, he opens with a transcription of the words he says God spoke to him directly, and caps off his second album with a track other artists could only dream of making. “This is gonna be a big track, man,” he said to me frankly, like he could see into the future. However he meant it, money or moved souls, this is the song that will prove to all naysayers that Trick Trick is much more than the arm-breaking rapper from The Murder Mitten.

And that, with all hometown bias aside, is the main reason Detroit’s Bad Guy should be on your most anticipated list for ’08. In a system bent on moving your body, Trick Trick makes music that moves your soul. With tracks that will make you scrap, tear-up, get off the couch, or simply leave your brain racked, The Villain covers all grounds and will definitely worth the ticket when it drops this spring.

Given the circumstances, however, I can’t promise you’ll enjoy at much as I did.

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING A INTERN FOR OUR NEW OFFICE IN THE GEORGIA AREA. WE HAVE JUST OPENED UP OUR OFFICE IN ATLANTA AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR A RECEPTIONIST. YOU WILL INTERN FOR 2-3 MONTHS AND BECOME PERMANENT AND WE WILL COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND ALSO CAN GET A COLLEGE CREDIT SO ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS OPPURTUNITY HOLLA BACK.

TEAM CHEF INC

03.27.08 at 4:55 pm

Beware

^^^^^how come no one gots opportunities like this in MI???

I go hard! get at me with some positions!

03.27.08 at 5:01 pm

OED

Good write up Beware. There’s sumn very organic and familial about the way Detroit MC’s and producers show love, collaborate and make music these days that’s almost a throwback to when MC’s did cameo’s for the love of hip-hop, and before the check cleared….

03.27.08 at 5:20 pm

Beware

^^^Seems to be the sentiment over @ studio 1. good people over there, dead serious about theirs.

03.27.08 at 5:37 pm

AmpGeez a.k.a. Mr. Smoke-A-Lot

Seems like Dude’s career is based more on who He can get to feature on a track then whether or not He’s actually capable of doing it on His own. Tick Trick may be anticipated in the D, but Dude won’t make much noise on a national level. Cliche Gangster rappers with famous friends aren’t exactly a rare commodity.

03.27.08 at 6:04 pm

Terek

Does anybody have a link for
Digital Black from Playa -Memoirs of a Thug

@AmpGeez

Exactly…

03.27.08 at 6:20 pm

Gottyâ„¢

Membership has its privleges, whether we like it or not lol.

Seriously thouggh, from what I’ve garnered, Trick’s friendships are based on his abilities to do more than “just rap.” He’s shown a little business sense & that ability to bring folks together so there’s obviously parts of his persona that, while they may not be evident to a listener, are apparent to others.

Take it for what it’s worth I guess.

03.27.08 at 6:47 pm

AmpGeez a.k.a. Mr. Smoke-A-Lot

Obviously Dude has some serious networking skills & His street cred has to be up to snuff to get all the love He gets. I’ll admit it, “Welcome To Detroit” w/Eminem was kinda dope. But that’s not enough to warrant a full length album. Gotta respect His hustle tho. Cats with more skill & time in the game are still waiting on that Dre track. More power to Him, get Your snaps, Homie.

Its difficult for a lotta people outside the “D” to really realize that Trick Trick is one of the long time pioneers of Detroit rap. He’s been in the game for an while. When Eminem was still lookin for a deal he had one with the group Goon Squad but a lotta outsiders wouldn’t know because it was more of a Detroit/Chicago ghetto tech type group. I’ve heard a few of the tracks and it’s definitely gonna be a banger. I think that when we look from the outside and see that the first time a person we hear of someone is when they have a song with someone more popular then themselves we automatically assume that they’re riding their coat tails.

And we all know what happens when we assume…

I’ll give you some examples:

The first time some people ever heard of UGK was on a song with Jay-z, but they didnt know that they had been in the game just as long as Jigga

The first time some people ever heard of Consequence was on a Kanye song, but they didn’t know he was a onetime member of Tribe

Understand that i’m not making comparisons in talent or in types of music, i’m simply making a point

03.27.08 at 9:09 pm

DJ Dave

Oh yea Beware, good article! Way to put em up on the “D”!

What Up DOE!

03.27.08 at 10:25 pm

AmpGeez a.k.a. Mr. Smoke-A-Lot

Regardless, Trick isn’t that talented of an MC. It’s only His relationships that seperate Him from the rest of the generic pack. It says something when He only gets props from those in Detroit. His backstory means nothing to Me or anyone not from the D.

03.27.08 at 10:42 pm

Gottyâ„¢

^ Disagree.

A lot of times, it’s the backstory that will have me pullin for a cat.

But a good artist gets respect regardless of their backstory. Of course that adds to the buzz, but if You’re nice, You’re nice, period. OutKast didn’t have a ton of street respect when they dropped, but the music was undeniable. An artist like Eminem toiled for years in the underground, competing at open mics & the like. Wouldn’t have meant ish if He couldn’t spit.

03.28.08 at 12:38 am

DJ Dave

I dont agree with that cuz most the big artists out now that mean something toiled for yeas in their home town before they got recognized. UGK had a buzz in and around Houston before they blew, Biggie was heatin up New York before Puff came and got him. I feel like the backstory is what should get you to respect him. T.I. was really local before he came with a national release, and his first release that was nation wide didn’t move any units. So i just feel like the point that your trying to make doesn’t make sense. Give me 5 artists that didn’t have a local buzz before they came out nationally?

03.28.08 at 12:40 am

DJ Dave

P.S. Gotty is right if you aint shit in your own city then chances are you not gonna be hot anywhere else.

U KNOW WITH THE RECORD INDUSTRY BEING DRIVEN BY BUBBLE GUM BS. IT’S A SHAME THAT PEOPLE WILL STILL HATE ON A REAL ARTIST THAT CAN PRODUCE REAL MUSIC. THANK YOU BEWARE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO A PEICE ON AN ARTIST THAT CAN DO SO AND LOVES WORKING WITH HIS FELLOW DETROIT STARS. YALL BETTER WATCH OUT FOR DETROIT. SOUNDS LIKE STUDIO 1 IS ABOUT TO KICK ASS. KEEP IT COMING TRICK TRICK… 313 TO 310

03.28.08 at 8:41 am

G'Z UP

Trick we fucks wit you!!! Shady Records All Day!!!!!

03.28.08 at 8:47 am

DJ Blast

that glasses malone track is banging!!! just lose the voice box!! big up tss on this trick trick story. i met dude in NY wit his brother at dave and busters. them niggas cool as hell. i got the last album and its a classic! so f@# what yall hatas talkin bout. the boy makes good music. speak on it montana!

03.28.08 at 8:55 am

Ray C

Its no SURPRISE he was cool enough to invite you guys to his studio like that. Trick Trick is a real dude. I know for a fact this new album they’re doing is gona be crazy. If you pay attention, he keeps these top knotch MC’s close to him to build himself a better MC besides that he’s always made good music and he’s one to note of his own words…”theres always room for improvment” keep it up TrickTrick!!! YOU KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THESE HATERS

03.28.08 at 8:57 am

SHADY 1

DAMN RIGHT!!!!! RAY C

03.28.08 at 11:58 am

UNCLE P OF DETROITRAP.COM

Beware!!! Good Shit homie

Trick is the Epitome of Detroit, Brother got that street cred and be about his business!

03.28.08 at 12:41 pm

Beware

Thanks for stopppin by Uncle P.

We in here!

04.01.08 at 4:58 pm

Detroit Red

Dope article about a dope emcee and a dope businessman.

Bottom line.

11.10.08 at 3:16 am

Ignorance Inc

Uhmmmm…. im from the d and trus me, aint nobody checkin for this nigga regardless of who is on the album. I was jus about to take a shit when i saw the video on you tube and i decided to hold my shit in and listen because it was produced by Dr Dre. I should have just went on and taken my shit. Dre gave this oke doke nigga an oke doke beat, exactly what he deserved for calling dre and wastin his time. Homie is more well known for gathering up 50 niggas and beating up one nigga, and usually its an entertainer who is more famous than him. If he plans on beating up niggas who are more famous than him for talkin shit, he got a helluva lotta niggas to bumrush. This nigga is wack, i dont give a fuck where hes from

11.10.08 at 3:17 am

Ignorance Inc

Fuck outta here, homie is wack, i dont give a shit who is on the album